Previously referred to as the Kachess Reservoir inactive storage project, the proposed KDRPP could withdraw as much as 200,000 acre-feet of inactive storage water below the reservoir’s outlet works. It would pump and transfer water into the Yakima River for appropriate distribution. KDRPP would operate only during a Washington State-declared drought with the goal of providing, when feasible, not less than 70 percent water rights to proratable users. KDRPP is proposed along with the Keechelus-to-Kachess Conveyance (KKC) project, which would help refill the Kachess Reservoir in the years following a drought in which KDRPP would be used.

Since the proposed KDRPP and KKC projects are closely connected, Reclamation and Ecology prepared the Kachess Drought Relief Pumping Plant and Keechelus Reservoir-to-Kachess Reservoir Conveyance (KKC) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) as a single document. It includes environmental analyses for both proposed projects.

The Draft EIS was released in January 2015 and presents the no-action alternative and five action alternatives. The action alternatives also include bull trout enhancement for the Yakima River basin. The public involvement and comment period ended June 15, 2015.

Reclamation and Ecology are currently reviewing these comments while also collecting additional scientific data, as necessary, and will reevaluate to affirm or revise the findings in a Supplemental Draft EIS for KDRPP and KKC, which is expected to be completed in late 2016. The release of the Supplemental Draft EIS will be followed by additional public involvement, request for comments, and review period.

The Supplemental Draft EIS will not contain comment letters received on the January 2015 Draft EIS; instead, letters and response to comments from both the Draft EIS and Supplemental EIS will be in a Final EIS.